Former Prime Minister John Howard says he looks back on the Australia-USA free trade agreement with "real satisfaction", even as a former US trade negotiator acknowledges it was "terrible" that Australian sugar lost out so badly under the deal.

When it comes to economic benefits, however, they can be downright harmful.

And just like the Australia US Free Trade Agreement signed a little over a decade ago, the Trans Pacific Partnership has the potential to seriously compromise Australian sovereignty while delivering almost nothing in economic terms.

The Electrical Trades Union says the Government's decision to remove a skills assessment of Chinese electricians on temporary work visas is "an absolute disgrace" and will endanger the Australian community.